Improvement in manufacturing acetic acid



L. BRUMLEN.

Manufacturing Acetic Acid. Nu.l48,031s PatntedMarch3J874.

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Attorneys.

Witnesses. I

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UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

LUDWIG BRUMLEN, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT lN MANUFACTURING 'ACETIC ACID.

Specification formingpart of Letters Patent No. 148,031, dated March 3,1874; application filed April 19, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUDWIG BRUMLEN, of Newark, in the county of Essexand State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement inManufacturing Acetic Acid, of which the following is a specification:

Figure 1 is a side View of my improved apparatus, the filtering-tubbeing shown in section. Fig. 2 is a top View of the filtering-tub.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My invention has for its object to furnish an improvement inmanufacturing acetic acid by means of which the filtering necessary inthe process may be greatly facilitated. The invention consists inimproved means for the manufacture of acetic acid, as hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

A represents a vessel, of any desired capacity, which should be providedwith an agitator, and should be so located that its contents maybedischarged into the filtering-tub B. In the vessel A acetate of lime isdecomposed by sulphuric acid, producing acetic acid and sulphate oflime. B is the filtering-tub, which is made about four feet high, and ofany desired diameter. In the middle part of tub B is secured apartition, 0, which is perforated with numerous holes, about half aninch in diameter, and about one inch apart. These holes, upon the upperside of the partition, are all connected by grooves or gutters, fromonequarter to three-eighths of an inch deep, cut into said partition.Upon the partition 0 is placed a layer, D, of straw, broom'corn, orother similar substances,which layer is covered with a piece, E, of feltor other cloth, which is secured in place by strips F of board about twoinches wide, fastened firmly to the partition 0 by screws. Any desirednumber of these tubs may be connected together into a series. With thelower part of the filtering-tub is connected a pipe, G, the other end ofwhich is connected with an air-pump, H.

By this construction, when the pump H is operated a Vacuum will beformed in the tub B beneath the filtering partition 0, which causes theacetic acid to be forced rapidly through the filtering-bottom, thesulphate of lime being left upon the upper side of said partition. Theacetic acid is drawn off from the lower part of the tub B, when desired.

To prevent any of the acetic acid from passing through the pipe G to thepump H, the pipe G is made in two parts, the adjacent ends of whichparts are connected with a barrel or other vessel, I, the end of thepart of the pipe leading to the filtering-tub B entering the vessel Inear its middle, and the part of said pipe leading to the air-pump Hentering said vessel I at its top. In this way any acid that may passfrom the filtering-tub B through the pipe G will collect in the lowerpart of the vessel or trap I, from which it may be drawn ofi' asrequired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Pat ent- 1. The combination of the perforated and groovedpartition 0, the layer D of straw, broom-corn, or equivalent material,the layer of felt or cloth E, and the wooden strips F, with each otherand with the tub B to form a filter, substantially as herein shownanddescribed.

2. The apparatus for manufacturing acetic acid formed of thedecomposing'vessel A, one l or more filters, B C D E F, the pipe G,airpumpH, and trap I, constructed and arranged to operate in connectionwith each other, substantially as herein shown and described.

Witnesses: LUDWIG BRUMLEN.

J AMES '1. GRAHAM, T. B. MOSHER.

